Tony Stewart in 'quite a bit of grief' over Ward Jr.

Tony Stewart

BRIAN BLANCO / Reuters Photo

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Tony Stewart speaks with crew members during practice for the Daytona 500 qualifying at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, in this file photo taken February 16, 2013. Stewart canceled plans to compete in a race on August 10, 2014, hours...

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Tony Stewart speaks with crew members during practice for the Daytona 500 qualifying at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, in this file photo taken February 16, 2013. Stewart canceled plans to compete in a race on August 10, 2014, hours... (BRIAN BLANCO / Reuters Photo)

During a non-NASCAR, sprint-car race at a small dirt track in upstate New York on Saturday, Ward emerged from his wrecked car, stood on the track and, while apparently gesturing toward Stewart, was hit by Stewart's car.

An amateur video of the incident available on the Internet has sparked widespread public debate about who might have been at fault in Ward's death.

Stewart has not been charged with any wrongdoing but an investigation by local law enforcement authorities is continuing.

"We're going to respect that process and the people involved in that investigation," Stewart-Haas spokesman Mike Arning said.

Veteran driver Jeff Burton will fill in for Stewart this weekend. "Hopefully I can find a way to help a healing process start," Burton said. "I don't know how that is, but that would be my ultimate goal for everybody."

Hours after funeral services were held for Kevin Ward Jr., the 20-year-old driver struck and killed during a race by Tony Stewart's car, Stewart's team said the former NASCAR champion would skip his second consecutive NASCAR race this weekend.